Catch The Bouquet
by heatherlea75
Summary: Fate has been unkind to Jackie Burkhart for too long. She has a plan to change that, and to obtain what is rightfully hers a glorious wedding. Though she doesn't know it, she needs a little help, and a surprising person is perfectly willing to offer it.
1. Part I The Plan

**Disclaimer: **I don't own. 

**Author's Note:**I've been frustrated by the fact that I can't seem to write anything but heavy angst. So I'm trying a two parter with little to no angst. More to prove it to myself than anything else. I hope you enjoy it, and I'll have the second part up on Tuesday! Please review. :)

**Catch The Bouquet **

May 22, 1981

Part I - The Plan

In all fairness, today should be _her_ wedding day. After all, it was a perfect May late afternoon, with warm, cascading sunlight fading into dusk. The air teased noses with the scent of mingling blossoms. The church was decked to the hilt with gorgeous flowers, candles and ribbons. A table in the front of the church nearly toppled under the weight of wedding gifts. Everything was just as a wedding day – _her_ wedding day – should be. And she'd had two marriage proposals in the space of six months. _Two._

Yet as Jackie Burkhart studied herself in the mirror – one that _she _brought to the church and set up in the small room, since _the bride_ forgot - instead of the stunning, breathtaking, vision of herself in a wedding gown, the one she'd dreamed of for years, she gazed critically at herself in a bridesmaid's dress. Maid of honor, of course, and a deeper shade of purple than the other few girls standing up for Donna Pinciotti, soon to be Donna Pinciotti-Forman. At least she had that going for her. It certainly was a more flattering color than that weird lavender-bluish color of the other dresses.

She sighed and smoothed her hand over the bodice of the surprisingly tasteful and elegant dress. A deep mauveish-purple satin, off the shoulder with a sweetheart neckline, and an ankle-length straight skirt, and a modest slit in the back. It was lovely. And truth be told, she felt lovely in it.

Even though it wasn't her wedding day.

Even though she had no reason to believe her own wedding day would take place any time in the near future. She had no boyfriend, not even a prospect.

She glared at her reflection for a few short seconds, then a sly smile replaced it. Fate had hardly been kind to her as of late, but she had a plan. A good plan. One that would force fate's hand, of course, in her favor.

The door opened, and she rolled her eyes. "Donna, I told you I'd be out in a minute."

"Hate to disappoint you, but it's not Donna."

Jackie looked up and smiled. "Hi, Steven." Her eyes, against her will, really, rushed up and down his form. He looked incredibly handsome in a tuxedo. He wasn't wearing those infuriating glasses, and even his curly mop of hair was tame.

"Hey." Hyde arched his eyebrows. "I was hoping you'd still be naked."

She rolled her eyes, but felt her cheeks warming with pleasure. "Too bad for you, huh?" She turned back to the mirror and again rubbed the dress down. There was one little fold that an iron and her hands couldn't seem to get to flatten. And it was bugging the living daylights out of her.

"So." Hyde took a few steps towards his ex-girlfriend. Funny, it had been over a year and a half, they'd become friends, and yet, to him, she was still his ex-girlfriend. Not his friend. And she looked beautiful. The dress she wore hugged her tiny, but sweetly curved body, and his heart jumped a bit in his chest. "Where were you last night? I was hanging out at the water tower." He shrugged and looked away. "Thought you'd be there."

Jackie turned and smiled at him. "Awww, did you miss me, Steven?" Weird. They'd been hanging out a lot more since Fez called off the engagement. Ever since that first night, they'd met up, without planning it, at the water tower, usually pretty late at night, and just talked. Or sometimes just sat together, drinking beer, smoking a joint.

Funniest thing was that they'd become friends in the process. Friends with a complicated history, sure. Friends with a lot of unspoken, unresolved feelings, of course. But friends nevertheless.

He grimaced. "Hell, no. In fact, I'm glad you weren't. All that beer I brought up…more for me."

She giggled and put her hand to her heart. "You brought beer for me?"

He glared at her. "Whatever. Look, Donna wanted me to tell you that you better be ready in two minutes. Oh, and she wanted me to remind you that this is her day, and everyone is going to be staring at her, they won't even notice you." He pursed his lips. "That's a direct quote." It had kind of pissed him off, truthfully. And, he thought as he looked at Jackie, Donna would be lucky as hell if even _Eric_ looked only at her.

She looked down for a moment, trying to smother the sting of hurt in the center of her chest. _Some best friend. _But in her usual style, she plastered on a smile and shook her head, pretending to brush the burn off. "Stupid lumberjack. I don't know why she insists on rubbing it my face."

Hyde grinned and stepped towards his ex. "Probably because you'd do the same thing."

The teasing in his voice relaxed her stomach, and she beamed at him. Lately he'd been so good at that, making her feel better with just a few words. Actually, he always had. "Of course I would, Steven," she said smoothly. "That's who I am. But really, this should have been my day. I mean, two proposals in one year and no wedding?" She turned back to the mirror and stared at herself. She was beautiful…wasn't she? She was a major catch…wasn't she? "There's something really messed up, here."

Her voice broke, and he noticed. He stood behind her, resisting the intense urge to put his hands on her bare shoulders. In the months they'd been hanging out, they'd avoided that one thing, touching in any way. Well, that and talking about their break up. "You turned the first proposal down, Jackie. And the second…come on, man. You were relieved when Fez told you he couldn't marry you." He grinned, remembering the reason. The stupid and slightly disturbing reason. "Because he was afraid it would interfere with his relationship with Kelso."

Jackie rolled her eyes and shot her elbow back, making light contact with the his middle. "I was not relieved, Steven." She lied. "I was just…"

"You were ecstatic, Jackie. You told me so. Remember? That night at the water tower?" He remembered. He'd never been so relieved in his entire life to hear that Jackie and Fez had broken up. Not that he'd ever tell her that, or anyone else for that matter. And not that it really mattered. He didn't want her back or anything. No.

She took a step backwards to him, letting her back come into light contact with his chest. She met his eyes in the mirror and smirked slightly, daring him to touch her. He didn't, but she felt a breath catch in his chest. "I was drunk. People say stupid things when they're drunk."

She hadn't told him the whole truth about her break up with Fez. No one else, save Fez, knew the whole truth; that after he'd proposed, Fez found her in the bathroom sobbing her eyes out. That she'd confessed that she didn't think she loved him but wanted to marry him anyway. That he'd started laughing and told her he felt the same way, that he'd proposed because he thought he had to, because he'd felt he'd trapped himself and didn't want to hurt her.

She wasn't sure if she'd ever tell Steven that.

Hyde stared at Jackie, her mismatched eyes, and a noose tightened itself in the area he supposed his heart was. Every time he looked in her eyes, he remembered how she'd looked the day Sam showed up. She'd done her best to hide it, but he knew he'd hurt her. Badly. What she didn't know was the he reminded himself of it every day, so as not to let it happen again. A choking regret forced his words out, strained and quiet. "Yeah, well, people _do_ stupid things when they're drunk, too."

None, however, more stupid than what he'd done.

Weird, all this regret had rushed to him after Fez and Jackie's engagement. And now he couldn't seem to get a handle on it. He supposed it had always been there, but the prospect of there never being another chance for him and Jackie…

He cleared his throat. No. No. No.

She stared at her ex boyfriend, his beautiful blue eyes that today seemed so cloudy and misty. Almost…regret. And it made her stomach roll over, her heart flip-flop. He was sorry. She could see it. All those tears…all that hurt…he was sorry. "I…" She took a breath and turned around. Seemed fair to tell him a little bit of the truth. "Okay, maybe I was a little…relieved." She smiled. "Fez was just…I don't know. I thought I could be happy with him, but I just didn't…it was just…" She instinctively reached up and began fiddling with Steven's tie, focusing her eyes there instead of on his face as her face began to flush. "You know what I mean."

He watched her cheeks turn pink and smiled slightly. She tugged on his tie, and he let her. "Yeah. I do." And he did. He'd been down that same road, though he was pretty sure she didn't know that. Maybe someday he'd tell her. Maybe someday he'd be able to admit to her. He'd finally admitted it to himself.

Abruptly, as if burned by his words, his voice, she backed away from him. "It doesn't matter anymore, though. I've got a plan. I'm going to force fate to make sure that I'm the next one to get married."

He smirked and watched her flitter around the room, gathering her bouquet of lilies and roses, and making a last minute check of her appearance. He wanted to tell her she looked beautiful. Instead, he questioned her plan. "Oh yeah? How are you gonna do that, Jackie?"

She smiled brightly at him, her eyes taking on the glow they always did when she had an idea hatching in her head. She swept over to him and linked her arm through his, and instinctively his bent to accommodate her. "I'm going to catch the bouquet when Donna throws it. Because the girl who catches the bouquet is the next one to get married."

Hyde nodded and began leading Jackie to the door. This was one of the things he'd forgotten about her – forced himself to – during the hell that encompassed him after Chicago. How cute she was. How determined she was. How naïve and romantic and open and warm…._Damn it, Hyde, just stop it! _He cleared his throat. "Does Donna know about this?"

Jackie nodded. "She better. I've been leaving her notes everywhere. Including in her shoes." She giggled. "And pinned to her dress." She looked up at Steven, and felt an odd sort of half-peace. Things were so good between them, for the first time in a long time. She liked that. And yet when she looked at him, when he looked at her, when it was just the two of them at the water tower, she always felt a longing. "So…are you enjoying your duties as best man?"

Hyde shrugged. "I guess so. Except I have to give a toast and I hate that. I think I'll just tell everyone to down their champagne and leave it at that." He gave her a sly look. "There is one thing I'm looking forward to, though. You know what the perk is of being the best man?"

She had a good idea, and gave him a flirtatious smile. "What, Steven?"

"I get to nail the hottest bridesmaid." He looked her over. "Looks like you're the lucky girl."

She elbowed him, but laughed. "You mean you don't wanna nail Tina?" Donna's sister, Tina, had returned, looking less like Donna or Midge and more like Bob, much to all the guys' disappointment. She also returned with a bad attitude, especially when Donna had passed her over for maid of honor.

"There you are! Come on, get in line…we're about to start!"

Hyde nodded at Kitty Forman, who was acting almost like the mother of the bride instead of the mother of the groom. Then again, in this case, maybe she was. He and Jackie took their spots behind Tina and Kelso. He looked over Tina. Yeah right. He snickered, and Jackie giggled beside him.

Tina turned and gave Jackie a rather nasty smile. "I kind of thought you wouldn't show up, Jackie. I guess this must be hard for you, what with your recent humiliation." She widened her eyes. "I mean, your fiancée left you, and this being a wedding and all…"

"Okay, we're almost ready. Tina and Michael, get ready to head down the aisle!"

Jackie only smiled. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I just hope it's not too hard on you, Tina. I mean, everyone is going to be laughing at you when they see the big stain on your dress." She made a face. "God, it's really gross."

"What? Where? Oh god, where?"

Hyde and Jackie laughed as she squirmed, trying to find the stain on her dress until Donna's cousin and wedding coordinator, pushed her and Kelso towards the aisle.

He grinned at Jackie. "Nice burn."

She nodded, her eyes still glowing. "Yeah, I know."

They headed to the aisle, and he noticed her smile and the glow fade as she stared into the lushly decorated chapel. "Hey." He elbowed her softly. And as he stared at her, her raven hair swept up in curls, her skin olive and perfect, her lips full, plush and pink, so many things that he'd forgotten – forced himself to – overcame the wall he'd built inside of him with the force of a tsunami.

Jackie looked up at Steven, and her heart stopped beating. There he was…the guy she'd loved so much…before all the crap. Before all the hurt. It was almost as if time was turning backwards, so quickly she was dizzy. But a good dizzy. A – dare she think it? – promising dizzy. "Yeah, Steven?"

They looked into one another's eyes.

"You're beautiful."

Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Steven…"

From behind them, Donna whispered harshly. "Guys! It's your turn! Go!"

They started walking, both of them rolling their eyes a little bit at the bride's demand. Both of them lost in thoughts.

"Steven?" she whispered, smiling and enjoying the eyes on her, the smiles on the faces of the wedding guests, though not as much as she was enjoying the feel of his hand covering hers on his arm. Or the echo of his words.

"Yeah, Jackie?" He grinned up at the alter, where Fez and Kelso were fidgeting and Forman was looking paler and paler by the second.

"Just a little advice. If you really wanna nail the hottest bridesmaid tonight, you better keep saying stuff like that."

He smiled. God, he loved her.

Wait. No. No. NO! He couldn't. He just couldn't. He didn't love people.

_Except her. _

A few minutes later, while Pastor Dave was droning on and on about the joys and holiness of matrimony, Jackie pursed her lips, trying hard to keep her tears inside where they belonged. She was happy for Donna, she really was.

But it should have been her day. Now she feared her day would never come, that she'd never find anyone.

Just then, Steven's eyes caught hers, and he winked. She smiled, the burning behind her eyes abating abruptly.

"You're beautiful," he mouthed at her.

She stared at him, her hands trembling, her heart pounding. The past few months…and now he was being sweet and flirty and the Steven she'd known before the mess…

And she wondered.

_Is it even possible that he has feelings for me again? Is it even possible that I have feelings for him again? _

She noticed Donna's bouquet, and smiled to herself.

Anything was possible.


	2. Part II The Catch

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry that it took me so long to finish this. Real life is really kicking my butt these days. Anyway, enjoy the almost angst-free ending! (Donna's a bit bitchy in this one...I had some pent up Donna anger that needed to be vented.) Thanks SO much for reading and for the reviews!

**Catch the Bouquet **

**May 22, 1980**

Part II - The Catch

And some people called Steven Hyde heartless. Jackie Burkhart knew better. She sneaked a few glances at him during the reception and noticed that he watched Eric and Donna enter the hotel ballroom as a married couple with affection. Now, as they sat next to one another at the head table and listened to celebratory speech after celebratory speech, his hand rested on the back of her chair. Occasionally, a rough fingertip would brush lightly against the bare back of her neck. She'd shiver involuntarily, and the hint of a smile would tug at the corner of his mouth.

She wondered...

She took a sip of wine. _I need a sign. He's acting as if he has feelings for me again...If I catch the bouquet, it'll mean he does. It'll mean that I'm going to be the next one to get married, and that he's interested again...it'll mean that I'm going to marry him! _She smiled and set her wine glass down, the warm liquid suddenly tasting luscious and full. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head slightly. _Okay, God. Please let the bouquet be my sign. If I catch it, it'll mean I'll get married. It'll mean that I'll marry Steven. The way I've always wanted to. Please God. Please. _

Steven's whisper tickled her earlobe.

"Praying that Bob shuts the hell up so we can eat?"

She giggled and leaned towards him, touching her shoulder to his. In the past few months, they'd avoided physical contact. Until tonight. Huh. Kind of funny. "Definitely." She looked at him and cocked her head in the sexy manner all women know and use. "I mean, I need to eat. I'm gonna need all my strength if you're gonna nail me, right?" She slowly traced her lower lip with her tongue and placed her index finger on his hard thigh, drawing tiny, slow circles. "That is, if you're as good as you used to be." She bobbed her eyebrows. "I bet you are, huh? I know I am."

She looked away, her pulse racing in the thrill of victory, of flirting with him this way again, but she could feel his eyes on her. Out of the corner of hers, she noticed that his lips were parted.

"Damn, woman!"

And then he smiled, that admiring one he got whenever she did something that impressed him. She knew he was thinking that she was badass, and hell, she was. She looked at him and gave him a grin of her own. He chuckled, and all of a sudden his hand cupped her neck. She sighed in utter relaxation, turning back to face Bob, who was still waxing poetic about his daughter. Steven gently massaged her skin, the way he used to all the time, and her eyelids felt a little heavy.

It felt so right, their flirtation. The touches. The looks; the words. Like it used to, and yet, tinged with something new and exciting.

And so, as she took another dainty drink of her wine, for the first time in over a year and a half, Jackie Burkhart felt confident. She'd catch the bouquet. And she'd get Steven back, too. She had to.

It was fate.

Hyde was suspicious of the bouquet toss from the get go. It was probably the way Bob, as the women gathered in front of Donna (Jackie was a the front of the pack and already wrestling with another of the hopefuls), pulled the bride aside and whispered to her while pointing towards Tina. And maybe it was the way Tina just happened to be standing at a bit of a distance from the clump of women. Completely open.

It definitely was the way Donna, after counting to three, instead of keeping her back to the ladies as she threw the bouquet, turned towards them and threw the bouquet directly - purposefully - to Tina.

He stood at the edge of the dance floor, his hands forming fists, and watched with a frown as Jackie pushed past a few women and lunged towards Tina and the bouquet. Her tiny body flew threw the air, and she nearly grabbed the treasure; her fingers took a brief hold on the flowers until one of the other women pushed _her_. She fell to the floor, landing unceremoniously on her stomach just as Tina caught the huge bundle of flowers she'd so longed for.

He shook his head. _Stupid bitch._ And he wasn't sure if he was thinking of Donna or Tina. Hell, probably both. With a sigh, he headed towards Jackie. She pulled herself up off the floor, rejecting the hands offering to assist her, her face already flooding with red. His steps quickened, and he grabbed her arm to stop her. He presumed she was heading for the large balcony just outside the east end of the ballroom, visible through nearly half a wall of windows. "Jackie."

She turned, and his frown deepened. Her eyes were full of tears, and it was more than embarrassment, more than just the frustration of having not gotten her way. She could hardly look at him, but he saw her pain. "Hey. It doesn't mean anything," he told her quietly, holding her elbow.

She gave him a shaky smile, one he recognized well. The one that meant she was putting on a brave face so to hide her vulnerability. Only problem was, she could never quite hide it from him. Not even now. Probably not ever.

His head began feeling a little light.

Had she really let him in that deep? Huh. Kelso had never seen through her facade. Neither had Fez.

Huh.

"Of course it doesn't, Steven. I know that."

Her voice shook. She was lying through her teeth.

"I...I'm just gonna go...go...go look at the sunset."

She pulled away, and he let her go, watching until she disappeared behind the door. An anger that had slowly been festering, since the disaster in Chicago, one that he'd denied and denied and suppressed and denied, one he wasn't even really entitled to but felt nevertheless, began to heat in his gut. He looked at Donna. Standing there with a smile on her face, with that freaking blonde hair that he'd long come to dislike, being fawned over by her ass-kissing husband and doting father. And then there was Tina. Squealing like a pig over the prize she hadn't even earned.

He strode towards the bride and groom, and just as Jackie so often did, plastered a fake grin on his face. "Hey. Can I borrow the bride for a minute?"

He pulled Donna off to an empty spot in the ballroom. "What the hell was that?" He gestured towards where the bouquet toss had just taken place.

"What was what? The bouquet toss?" Donna sighed and lifted her shoulders. "Look, Tina was feeling sorry for herself, you know, since she hasn't had a date in three years and all, and my dad asked me to make sure she got the bouquet. So I did. I mean, he did pay for all of this. It was the least I could do."

Hyde crossed his arms. "Jackie's been telling you for weeks that she wanted to catch the bouquet. What about her, huh?"

Donna rolled her eyes, then gave him an odd, confused look. "Wait, why are you so concerned about whether Jackie caught the bouquet or not? Why does it matter to you at all?"

He took a deep breath, but it didn't slow his inner boil. "Because I owe her," he said flatly. "I treated her like shit for the past year and a half, and I owe her." He pointed at Donna. "And so do you. You've treated her like shit, too, and you're still fucking doing it."

Donna held up her hands. "Wait a second. Just wait a second. I didn't treat her like shit, Hyde."

"No. Of course not. You only became best friends with Sam. You couldn't explain why you were friends with Jackie. You told me that I was the happiest you'd ever seen me with Sam. You forgot that Jackie and I were ever even together. Hell, you basically forgot Jackie."

"And you didn't?"

Hyde looked down, his own intense guilt tightening his stomach. But he raised his chin, and his eyes met Donna's dead on. "At least I'm admitting it."

Donna bit her lip. "Whatever, Hyde. Look , I don't owe Jackie anything, okay? And so what, she didn't catch the bouquet. It can't have meant anything to her. She just wanted someone to fuss and fawn over her. You know how she lives for attention."

Hyde noticed his old friend's eyes darting and avoiding his, but his remained still on Donna's face. Hard to believe, after all these years, but Donna just didn't get it. Didn't freaking get, or see, her best friend. Or...didn't _want_ to get or see her best friend. "You don't know her at all, do you?" He shook his head, the steam inside giving way to a chill of sadness for Jackie. He brushed past Donna, making sure his muttering was loud enough for her to hear. "Backstabbing bitch."

He grinned when he heard her shocked sounding "What?"

He headed for the exit, intending on going to Jackie, until he again noticed Tina. Now she was sitting alone at a table, smiling giddily at her bouquet. He paused. What would Jackie do? She'd make that girl cry.

He smirked. Oh yeah. This could be fun.

He altered his path and headed for the wrong bridesmaid.

The sunset was lovely, with all the typical golds, oranges, reds, purples, pinks, blues, but Jackie hardly noticed. She sat at an empty patio table and traced her finger over the patterned table.

Once again, beaten down by fate, by friends. It wasn't ever going to end; that much was clear. Donna had purposefully thrown the bouquet to her sister. Purposefully. When all along she'd known how much catching the bouquet meant to her.

Hadn't she? How could she not have? Donna was her best friend.

She smiled sadly, her eyes beginning to burn. She wondered if Donna would like the wedding present she'd made for her and Eric. It wasn't much, since her funds were currently quite limited, what with her father being broke, her mother living off of men, and her own low-paying job at the salon. Just a scrapbook she'd put together, full of pictures and mementos she'd found in both Eric's room and Donna's room. Along with her own witty comments and snippets from Donna's diary. Good snippets, of course, ones that made her want to puke. _I love Eric so much. Eric is my best friend, and I'm so lucky to be with him. When Eric kisses me, I feel like I'm about to fall off the earth into space and yet I know that he'll be right there with me, so I feel safe. _

Heh. Donna would probably just bitch about the fact that she'd read her diary.

"Hey."

Jackie looked up, and tried to smile as Steven drew closer. His hands were behind his back. "Hey."

He grinned. "Get up."

"What?" She furrowed her brow.

"Get up."

She rolled her eyes, but stood up. "Steven, what are you..."

"Catch."

More in self-defense than awareness, she caught the bouquet of flowers he tossed at her "Steven," she gasped when she realized that she was holding _the_ bouquet. Donna's bouquet. Her head shot up and her eyes found his. He was smiling slightly, and her heart began to pound. "What...how...I mean, this is..."

He approached her and shrugged, as if he'd just handed her something simple like a fork. "You should have it." His eyebrows raised. "After all, you're the hottest bridesmaid."

She smiled, and her heart beat even faster when he looked away.

"Plus, I know it means something to you." He looked at her again with a smart-ass grin. "All it means to Tina is that her daddy felt sorry for her and blackmailed her sister into throwing her the bouquet."

Jackie gasped. "Is that..."

"Yep. Funny, when I told her, she didn't seem to want the flowers anymore, so..." He gestured towards the bouquet. "It's all yours."

She was so stunned, for a moment, all she could do was stand there, her mouth open, her eyes glued on her ex-boyfriend turned friend turned knight-in-shining armor. He'd gotten the bouquet for her...for _her_. To make _her_ feel better...to make _her_ happy.

She wanted to say so much. _Steven, that's so sweet. You're so sweet. I miss you. I'm sorry for everything. I love you so much. I always will. Can we try again? Can we please try again? And this time, I won't pressure you. This time I'll be perfect for you. This time I'll love you even more than I did before. _

Instead, when she regained the power of speech, she opened her mouth and said something stupid.

"Steven, that's so sweet. But I think it only counts if I catch it when the bride throws it."

He stared at her for a moment, then rolled his eyes. Before she could react, he'd snatched the bouquet out of her hands and turned from her, walking away. She shook her head, the warmth inside quickly icing over. "Steven, wait, no, just..."

He disappeared behind the door, and Jackie turned away, tears spilling just as soon as they filled her eyes. Why had she said something so stupid? Why hadn't she just been grateful for what he'd offered her? That was always the problem. She _always _wanted too much from him. She _always _pushed him away with her demands. Not even his smallest gestures were ever good enough for her.

She lowered her head and cried.

_I hate myself. God, why am I so stupid? Why can't I just take what he gives me? He just did something so sweet, and I just didn't..._

"Jackie."

Jackie turned, and there he was, this time standing next to Donna. Donna's eyes widened in surprise when their eyes met, and Jackie quickly wiped her tears away. She supposed Donna was startled. "Hey. What..." She noticed that Donna was holding the bouquet.

Donna glanced at Hyde, who was staring at Jackie. Weird. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. "I..." She looked back at Jackie, and the sadness on the tiny brunettes face, in her eyes, shocked her. "I need to throw the bouquet again." She shrugged and smiled slightly. "The first time...well, it wasn't really my best throw, you know, so..."

Jackie jutted her chin out. "What about your sister? And the other girls?"

Donna shook her head, and smiled softly. Looking at Jackie, and hearing her voice, thinking about things, she realized that Hyde had been right. She'd forgotten Jackie. Maybe this wedding wasn't only the beginning of her life with Eric, but also a time to start remembering Jackie. "Who cares?" She turned around. "Okay, get ready!"

Donna tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, and Jackie caught it. Hyde watched with a smile as the two women hugged one another, and as Donna said something quietly he couldn't hear. Hopefully an apology. If not, he'd have to kick her ass, girl or not.

Donna walked off, giving them both a slightly knowing smile, and Jackie turned her attention to Steven. Her heart pounding again, she took the few steps to him. "Steven," she said softly. She lifted the bouquet to her nose and inhaled the light rose and lily mixed fragrance. "You made her do that for me, didn't you?"

He lifted a shoulder. "You told me I had to keep doing stuff like that if I wanted to nail you, right?"

The smile he gave her belied his words; he'd done it not just to nail her, and she knew it. She felt it, felt the intense realness and heat and pleasure coursing up her veins from her toes to her head.

"Steven..." She lifted a hand and put it on his cheek. His eyes closed, and suddenly, it was too much. Far too much. Too real, too hot, to emotionally intense to handle.

What did it all mean?

She turned and walked to the window, gazing in at the wedding reception. Donna and Eric were alone in the center of the dance floor, obviously sharing their first dance as Mr. And Mrs.

Hyde wasn't surprised when she drew away, and followed her. He stood behind her, and watched their best friends dance together, their eyes drawn together in love.

Jackie sensed him behind her, felt that he was watching Eric and Donna, too, knew that he was thinking what she was thinking. "That could have been us, Steven," she said, her voice breaking. She still imagined it...more so lately. How it could have been. Would have been. Should have been. Steven waiting for her at the alter, stumbling through his vows, nervously glancing at the ring she placed on his finger, his fear of commitment there to the very end. The kiss he'd give her. The speeches, the dances, the food, the honeymoon.

The life.

She'd never forgotten it, and now it seemed so right. All her dreams seemed so right and meant to be.

She closed her eyes when she felt his hands on her shoulders. And spoke again, this time shyly and uncertain. "Do you think we could..."

"Jackie."

His voice in her ear stopped her. His lips touching but not kissing the side of her upper cheek made her tremble.

"Why don't we just start with a dance?"

She turned, looking up at him hopefully, her entire body electrified. "Start?"

Hyde nodded, his eyes taking in each and every detail of her beautiful face. "Yeah. Start." What the hell. This chick frustrated him, and yet, she was everything. She was the thrill he needed in his life...a year and a half of monotony taught him that well. And now, he supposed he'd grown up enough to accept it, and to accept that he loved her. Probably forever. Maybe this time it would work. Maybe this time it could work. "Come on."

Jackie took his offered hand and let him lead her back into the reception. As they joined the other dancers, she glanced at the bouquet.

And she smiled, closing her eyes as Steven took her in his arms for the first time in far too long.

_Thank you, God. _

Later that night, they sat at the water tower, their backs against the cool cement. Hyde had his arm around Jackie, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Her hand warmed his thigh, and her prized bouquet rested on her lap. He shrugged his shoulder, and she lifted her head up. "Come home with me tonight," he said, not looking at her, instead staring out in front of him.

Jackie's heart skipped a beat. "Steven..."

He grinned and looked at her. "No. I mean, just..." He stared into her eyes, and even in the darkness, found himself lost in her, just as he used to. Odd, though. It used to panic him. Now...now it was all he wanted. "We can just hang out."

Her lips curved upwards in that flirty way she had. "Oh, so you're not gonna try to nail me?" She giggled when he raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, I'll try alright." He smirked at her, but then it morphed into an almost sheepish, almost embarrassed expression. His eyes darted between hers, then dropped. "Not if you don't want me to, though. I mean, that's not..." He shook his head and looked up into the sky, frustrated by his inability to explain himself. Some things would never change, he supposed. "That's not what all of this was about."

Jackie's entire being softened, just as it used to when her Steven was vulnerable and nervous. She smiled. "Steven." He didn't look at her, and she squeezed his leg. "Steven." This time, he did look at her, and her smile faded. She looked into his eyes, and just like always, found herself swimming in him. And like she used to, she felt confident and strong. A woman, one that he wanted. "Why don't we just start with a kiss?"

His lips turned upwards. "Start?"

A breath caught in her chest as he began to lean down to her, his mouth seductively flowing towards her. "Y...yeah..."

The kiss was everything and nothing she remembered. Everything, the same feeling, the same strength, the same texture. Nothing, with words and emotions and sensations that only came to those meant to be reunited.

When it ended, he drew away, his eyes hazy, his breath heavy. "Come home with me," he said again.

She nodded, tried to speak but couldn't. He helped her to her feet, and she stood up, the bouquet tumbling off her lap and off the water tower.

They watched it.

"I already got it for you once, Jackie. I'm not doing it again."

There was that smart ass, I'm teasing smile of his again, and Jackie responded in kind with a flip of her hair. She pushed past him to the ladder, and looked over at him. "Fine then, Steven. I was going to nail _you _tonight, but I've done that before. I'm not doing it again." She smiled and began her descent.

At the bottom, she giggled when he caught her by the waist from behind as she tried to hurry away. He turned her around and kissed her hard.

And then he kissed her slow.

Then soft and deep.

Then light and tender.

She stared up at him, dizzy. "Steven..."

"Come home with me."

She nodded. Again.

They left, holding hands, on their way walking right past the bouquet with not even a glance.

**The End **


End file.
